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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · branch · perch · coach · land · bore · bound · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fork — in a road
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — a country
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. land — ground
  17. bound — certain
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — to come down
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com